News Releases 2011

LETU Recent Aviation Graduates Earn Prestigious Scholarships

Wed, Jul 13 2011

Two of the four winners of a prestigious aeronautical science scholarship are recent graduates of LeTourneau University. May 2011 graduates Steve Hederstedt of Salina, Kansas, and Steve Castillo of Aldie, Va., were recently selected to receive the CAE SimuFlite 2011 Citation Type Rating Scholarship that would provide training for a type rating in a Cessna Citation Excel aircraft.

Training takes two weeks, including one week of ground school and a second week of simulator training. The training will be at CAE’s facility in Dallas Metroplex.

“We are very proud of these two recent graduates for earning these scholarships,” said Bruce Chase, assistant chief flight instructor. “It has been a privilege to participate in the development of these men into professional pilots, and a joy to see how well they represent LETU’s School of Aeronautical Science.”

The application process was rigorous and required candidates to have their first class medical, commercial pilot license with a multi-engine and instrument rating and a Certified Flight Instructor rating with instrument airplane endorsement. They also had to write an essay, get two letters of recommendation and show they had a minimum 3.25 cumulative grade point average.

Hederstedt is currently a flight instructor at LETU, but will soon work for Dynamic Aviation in Bridgewater, Va.

Castillo soon will be working as a flight instructor at Hampton University in Hampton, Va., when he completes the training from this scholarship.

Headquartered in Montreal, Canada, CAE is a world leader in providing flight simulation and training for civil and military defense forces around the globe. Only four corporate aircraft training scholarships were offered this year by CAE to students or recent graduates of institutions that are members of the University Aviation Association. LETU has been a member of UAA for several years. The goal of the scholarships is to provide additional industry-based training and to broaden awareness of corporate aviation career paths among aviation students and graduates.